John T. Lay Jr.

Biography

John T. Lay has over 30 years of experience managing complex, high-stakes litigation for clients, and has tried more than 100 cases to verdict. He has also handled appeals at the South Carolina Court of Appeals, the South Carolina Supreme Court, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. John T.’s practice includes class actions, death and catastrophic injury claims, product claims, high profile business disputes, Qui Tam, legal malpractice and energy law. He has extensive experience managing product liability litigation throughout the country and has litigated business cases throughout the Southeast.

John T. has been involved in some of the most significant cases in South Carolina legal history, including what is believed to be South Carolina’s most significant legal malpractice case, most significant trust and estate dispute, most significant class action, and the largest sanctions award against a party for misconduct. He also represented the author Clive Cussler in a federal court case to determine who found the Hunley, an American Civil War era submarine that sank in the waters off Charleston. Further, John T. was appointed by a South Carolina Court as Receiver for a lawyer accused of murder and the theft of millions of dollars in client funds to assist with the assimilation of assets and their subsequent distribution to the victims. The case was closely followed by the national media. He was also involved as outside director of all litigation involving a multi-billion dollar failed nuclear project. Finally, he was recently engaged by the South Carolina Senate and the South Carolina House to assist with tort reform litigation.

John T. has an interest in cultivating legal talent and has developed a broad background in teaching trial techniques. He has taught trial advocacy at the University of South Carolina School of Law, was a faculty member for the International Association of Defense Counsel’s Trial Academy at Stanford University and frequently speaks on a variety of topics throughout the country. John T. served as President of the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) from 2016 – 2017. The IADC is the pre-eminent legal organization representing corporate and legal insurance interests throughout the world. John T. was also President of the South Carolina Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates from 2015-2016 and was President of the South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys’ Association from 2008-2009.

John T. is also a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL) and is the South Carolina Chapter Vice Chair. The ACTL is an invitation only fellowship of exceptional trial lawyers. The College selects only those who have demonstrated the very highest of standards of trial advocacy.

John T. has been recognized extensively by his peers, including being listed in Lexology Index Product Liability and Healthcare and Life Sciences as a Global Thought Leader since 2016. John T. has also been listed in Best Lawyers in America since 2008. John T. was selected “Lawyer of the Year” in Best Lawyers for Insurance (2016, 2017); Mass Torts and Class Actions (2018, 2020); Personal Injury – Defendants (2019, 2025); Product Liability – Defendants (2022); and Bet the Company Litigation (2024). Since 2008, John T. has been recognized by Super Lawyers and was named to the South Carolina Top 25 list in 2014 and 2018-2025, and to the South Carolina Top 10 list in 2019, 2024, and 2025, as determined by a blue-ribbon panel and confidential submissions by the South Carolina Bar. He was recently selected in the inaugural Forbes Listing as one of eight lawyers who are “Best in State”. He has been selected to Chambers since 2013 and is listed as Band 1 for Commercial Litigation. Chambers’ sources consider him to be “a gifted trial lawyer and gifted communicator” and note that he is “well respected by the judiciary.” Finally, he was recently appointed by South Carolina Senate to the Judicial Merit Selection Commission which plays a central role in the process of selecting state judges.

Education

Associations & Professional Memberships

• American Bar Association
• American Board of Trial Advocates
  • South Carolina Chapter, President (2015-2016)
• The American Civil Trial Bar Roundtable, Delegate
• Association of Defense Trial Attorneys
• Council on Litigation Management
• Defense Research Institute (DRI)
  • Board of Directors (2015 – 2018)
  • Commercial Litigation Committee
  • Product Liability Committee
• Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL)
• International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC)
  • President (2016 – 2017)
  • President-Elect (2015 – 2016)
  • Board of Directors (2012 – 2015)
  • Chair of the Business Litigation Committee
  • Product Liability & Trial Tactics Committees
• John B. O’Neill Inn of Court
• Lawyers for Civil Justice
  • Board of Directors (2015 – 2018)
• Litigation Counsel of America, Fellow
• Richland County Bar
• South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys’ Association (SCDTAA)
  • Past President
• South Carolina Judicial Merit Selection Commission (JMSC) (2025)

Honors & Awards

• Benchmark Chambers International
  • Recommended Lawyer for Chinese Interests
• Benchmark Litigation
  • Litigation Star (2015 – Present)
• Best Lawyers In America (2008 – 2026)
  • Bet-the-Company Litigation
    • Lawyer of the Year (2024)
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Insurance Law
    • Lawyer of the Year (2017, 2026)
  • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions: Defendants
    • Lawyer of the Year (2018) (2020)
  • Personal Injury Litigation: Defendants
    • Lawyer of the Year (2019, 2025)
  • Product Liability Litigation: Defendants
    • Lawyer of the Year (2022)
• Chambers USA Ranking: General Commercial Litigation (2013 – 2025)
• Columbia Business Monthly, Legal Elite
  • Insurance (2021)
  • Business Litigation (2020, 2022, 2023, 2025)
    • Top Vote Winner (2023)
  • Civil Litigation (2010, 2011, 2013, 2017)
  • Professional Liability (2022-2023)
    • Top Vote Winner (2023)
• Defense Research Institute (DRI)
  • Fred H. Sievert Award (2010)
  • Exceptional Performance Citation (2009)
• Forbes America’s Best-In-State Lawyers (2025)
• South Carolina Lawyers Weekly Power List for Consumer and Commercial Litigation (2025)
• South Carolina Lawyers Weekly, Leadership in Law Award (2010; 2013)
• South Carolina Super Lawyers, Business Litigation (2008 – 2025)
  • Top 10 Lawyers in South Carolina (2019, 2025)
  • Top 25 Lawyers in South Carolina (2014 – 2025)
• Lexology Index, formerly Who’s Who, Legal: Life Sciences
  • Named Thought Leader in both Product Liability Defense and Healthcare & Life Sciences.
  • Recommended in both Product Liability Defense and Healthcare & Life Sciences. (2016 – Present)
• SC Lawyers Weekly, Power List, Consumer Law (2025)

Community Involvement

• Alzheimer’s Association, South Carolina Chapter, Board of Directors
  •  Vice Chair, 2025
• Palmetto Richland Cancer Foundation, Board of Directors
• Richland County Library, Board of Directors
• South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors